Lawrence Wong will leave West Coast GRC to contest in Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC

PHOTO: The Straits Times

Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Lawrence Wong will leave West Coast GRC to stand in the new Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC at the general election.

Mr Wong, 42, announced his move at a national day dinner in Woodgrove ward, which is now part of the new four-MP group representation constituency.

He looks likely to anchor the GRC. And if he does, Mr Wong, who now oversees Boon Lay ward in West Coast GRC, will be the first minister who entered politics in 2011 to leave his original seat and lead a team in another.

What's important for me now is to spend time here, get to know the residents, get to understand all of them, their families, their concerns, and their aspirations," he said.

But Mr Wong declined to say more when asked about the likely slate of PAP candidates in the GRC.

His priority is to get to know the residents, the existing MPs and the activists who have been on the ground in the wards that will make up the new GRC, he said.

"Over the next few days and weeks, I am sure that you will be seeing me with the existing MPs and the team walking around," he added.

"You may see other people walking around with us on the ground as well, but we will only finalise and announce the candidates for the new GRC probably later in August."

Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC was created ahead of the upcoming elections partly to cater to an influx of new Housing Board flats in the north of Singapore. It is the only completely new electoral division this time round - three other new single seats and a revived GRC had existed at earlier elections - and has about 107,527 voters.

It is roughly bounded by the Strait of Johor in the north, Mandai Road in the south, Old Chua Chu Kang Road in the west and smaller streets like Riverside Road and Woodlands Ave 5 in the east.

The boundary changes in the north will affect Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education and Manpower Hawazi Daipi and Mr Ong Teng Koon, who are both MPs in Sembawang GRC, and Mr Alex Yam from Chua Chu Kang GRC.

As to who will take his place in Boon Lay, Mr Wong said: "You will have to talk to the anchor minister there".

This article was first published on Aug 01, 2015. Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.